Avoiding trouble....

[rev 01]

Doing a super bike school or some other track related instructional course places too much emphasis on lap times
& speed. Lap time skills will not stand you in good stead in the real world of negotiating modern traffic conditions on two wheels without firstly understanding a few basic fundamentals.

Track related skills are good to have once the basics of everyday riding techniques are understood, implemented & maintained.
I's a tough gig trying to avoid getting slammed from all directions & seemingly requiring 360 degree vision, but it's a skill we all have to develop.

I believe it can be categorised down into 6 basic area's:

1. See & be seen :......scan scan scan those eyes.
You should be able to spot a potential conflict before it happens & react accordingly & there are tell tale signs there to be read.
Have you had your eyes (& in particular), your peripheral vision checked lately ?
Clean your visor. Do you have a clear visor for night riding ?
Dark clothing or protective gear makes it harder for you to be seen !

Yeah yeah I know......"they should be looking for us"....but what if ?.... be pro active when it comes to your own well being !!

2. Protective clothing ?...taken as read.

3. Driver blind spots. Avoid them like the plague, drop back or accelerate out of them. If you sit beside a car long enough they will eventually change lanes without indicating (normal procedure for them ) & take you out, (seen it happen many times). You also have no chance of seeing their indicator (should they use it) seems to be optional nowadays. I've seen them cut across four lanes of Citylink to make an off ramp

4 Anticipate: Expect anything & be ready for it, they WILL do it

5. Make sure your bike has good TYRES & BRAKES . Go somewhere & practice EMERGENCY BRAKING !!!!!!!!!! You just can't emphasise that point enough !!

6.Finally, if you have limited experience or have gaps in your riding history, take a skills course to hone the technical side of your riding skills & become a more complete rider & better able to deal with life's unexpected eventualities.

And yes......... all that goes for me too <i></i>

[Taubusa]

Great advice Rev!! You can never become complacent when riding a bike especially in traffic <i></i>

[pan]

Sounds very sensible Rev... except for the:

Quoteoing a super bike school or some other track related instructional course places too much emphasis on lap times

I'm guessing either: (a) you haven't done one, or (b) I've been to ones that operate differently to the one you've done

1. At the Stay Upright Courses (at a track) they don't time you or look at your speed; just your technique and how to avoid getting into trouble, how to get yourself out of trouble, etc

2. At Eastern Creek Track days they don't let you time yourself. Infact, if you are caught with a timing device you are sent home. The instructors emphasise practicing technique over and over (learning good habits), so IF you need to turn quickly, brake suddenly, etc, your brain knows what to do

Not sure about Superbike School. Haven't done it.

I believe doing some of these courses will make a better rider out of us, as a lot of the riding skills we have include "bad habits" we are not even aware we are doing (I'm sure DJ will agree with that, having done a similar course)

Complacency tends to have a high correlation with short life expectancy when riding a Busa.
"sometimes crime does pay"<i></i>

[Djpete]

100% with you Rev.
Especially the blind spot stuff and staying away from cars, distance wise.
Only a fool breaks the 3 second rule comes to mind.
But I agree with Pan here too.
I didn't experience any emphasise on time or speed at all at Stay Upright.
It was all technique.
And I picked up plenty and am still using it all today...
Got to get back for the next course...

MAybe you mean track days with a group.
Now that is a bit more dangerous in my opinion.
I have been on the old run ya bike for 20 min for 30 bucks a long time ago at P Island and it was insane, everyone thought they were Agostini and it was downright dangerous...
Speed was all that mattered and there were really no real rules! Cheers,
Pete

djpete@tpg.com.au



Z Web World
Mobile Dj, Web Design,
Photography, Bullshit Artist!<i></i>

[rev 01]

You're probably right about your points there Pan, it's just an impression I've gained from reading feed back in here where lap times seem to get a fair mention.

But there's nothing like trying something yourself to get a first hand impression, something I will add to my "to do" list.

I still believe that anybody who has ridden dirt has a head start on someone who hasn't as it teaches you basic bike control & hones instinctive reactions and decision making.
There 'd be heaps of blokes in here who started riding dirt early on like myself. In fact there weren't many bitumenised roads about back then so no choice but to learn fast

(Insert age related jokes here)

Now all you do is steer a bike around some witches hats & bob's your uncle, here's your licence, good luck (you'll need it)

Then after that they get all snarly & start whining & bitching about being limited to a 250 for a year. Fact is, you have to learn to walk before you can run (IMHO) <i></i>

[spamanglenn]

I think superbike schools teach you the mental focus and proper motor skills of riding.The drills they teach you won,t make you win races but train your motorskills to overcome your fear responses so you will be faster and safer.After that though good road wise courses on accident avoidance,anticipation and generally believing no one knows your there would also be highly recommended. Glenn the Spa Man<i></i>